QC: all falls down / Wanka / scpinion
GP: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
**Water:**
Kingdra's claim to fame is in its Swift Swim ability, which allows it to outspeed almost the entire metagame in the rain. The rain will also boost the power of its already strong Water-type STAB attacks, making Kingdra an almost unstoppable wallbreaker as well as a very reliable sweeper, especially against offensive teams that rarely have easy ways to stop it. With access to Draco Meteor and Hydro Pump, Kingdra can deal massive damage to almost any target. While not spectacular, Kingdra has passable bulk, letting it shrug off attacks from most defensive Pokemon, making it safe to 2HKO many walls. That being said, Kingdra is overly dependent on having rain support to function. Without it, Kingdra is useless because it lacks speed and its Special Attack is rather unimpressive. Because of this, Kingdra all but requires at least one more teamslot to have a dedicated and reliable rain setter to reach its full potential.
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper (Water)
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Ice Beam / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Surf / Scald
item: Choice Specs
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump deals ridiculous damage in rain and can 2HKO most walls, such as Mew, Zapdos, and even Slowbro, which resists it. Draco Meteor is a second STAB move to hit foes that resist Hydro Pump, such as Mega Venusaur and Slowbro. Ice Beam provides good coverage for hitting Dragon- and Grass-types without Draco Meteor's Special Attack drops. Dragon Pulse is a viable substitution for Draco Meteor or Ice Beam; while it lacks the power of Draco Meteor and the coverage of Ice Beam, it is exceptional in the Dragon matchup for sweeping. It's also generally a good Dragon-type STAB attack that can be used without the loss in momentum of Draco Meteor. Surf is the most reliable STAB attack for Kingdra, being more accurate than Hydro Pump and lacking the Special Attack drops of Draco Meteor. Instead of Surf, though, Scald can be used to try to burn switch-ins, but the damage Surf provides is generally more useful for cleaning purposes.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EV investment makes sure Kingdra can at least Speed tie with opposing Kingdra in rain. Kingdra will also outspeed almost every viable Pokemon in the metagame including up to Choice Scarf Latios. A Modest nature is used with maximum Special Attack investment and Choice Specs to make Kingdra as strong as possible. Swift Swim is used to give Kingdra its incredible Speed in the rain so that it can sweep easily.
Usage Tips
========
Kingdra should mainly be used while rain is up, as its damage output and Speed are nothing impressive without the boosts. So, any time rain is up, try to bring Kingdra in safely so that it can fire off a strong STAB attack. Early-game, Kingdra can wallbreak to set up its, or a teammate's, late-game sweep. To make it easier for Kingdra to sweep, it should be kept as healthy as possible, so Kingdra should avoid taking damage, such as when rain is not up. Hydro Pump is generally safely used, as even Pokemon that resist it will take a serious amount of damage thanks to the rain boost. Be careful of using Draco Meteor, as turns of rain can be wasted when Kingdra is forced to switch out due to the Special Attack drop. Instead, it is a great tool for wallbreaking when there isn't rain, as it is stronger than Hydro Pump. Dragon Pulse is much more useful for sweeping Dragon teams, as Kingdra outspeeds their entire team and can OHKO every Dragon-type Pokemon except for Mega Latias. Unlike when it uses Draco Meteor, Kingdra won't need to keep switching out, so after Mega Latias is weakened, Kingdra has a quick sweep in the rain. Surf should only be used when revenge killing or cleaning, as Hydro Pump's damage is necessary to break many walls. Similarly, Ice Beam's main targets are only those weak to it and resistant to both of Kingdra's STAB attacks, as Hydro Pump in the rain and Draco Meteor outdamage it in most cases. Because it is so dependent on its Speed, Kingdra needs to avoid paralysis, which would make it incapable of sweeping at all.
Team Options
========
Politoed is a necessary teammate to set rain with Drizzle. Notably, Eject Button Politoed can save a turn of rain and bring Kingdra in safely. It can carry Toxic for the few walls Kingdra cannot break, such as specially defensive Cradily, which can relatively safely Recover off Ice Beams while Toxic stalling, and specially defensive Gastrodon. To support it with Stealth Rock, Swampert and Empoleon are two great options. Mega Swampert also appreciates Kingdra being able to take out most of its checks and can sweep late-game easily. In return, it can even set Rain Dance to support Kingdra if it isn't already using Stealth Rock. Empoleon is an alternative Stealth Rock setter that pairs well defensively with Kingdra. Thanks to its Steel typing and good bulk, it can easily switch into Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Kingdra. It can also run Defog to remove entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes to keep Kingdra healthy. Manaphy is a versatile option that can defeat many of Kingdra's few checks. With Tail Glow, it is capable of breaking Chansey with Scald; Mega Venusaur with Psychic; and Cradily, Gastrodon, and Ferrothorn with Ice Beam. It can also serve as another Rain Dance user to give Kingdra more opportunities to be useful. Choice Band Azumarill is the best physical wallbreaker to use with Kingdra, as Azumarill is capable of breaking most special walls that stop Kingdra. Specifically, with Superpower, it can break Chansey, Empoleon, Cradily, and Ferrothorn. As Kingdra needs to switch in and out due to the low number of rain turns and Draco Meteor stat drops, Starmie's Rapid Spin support can be greatly beneficial. It can also run Psychic to 2HKO Mega Venusaur, or even OHKO it on the switch thanks to Analytic. Starmie also serves as a fast Pokemon outside of rain, which can help with defeating opposing weather setters. Keldeo is another great option for a Pokemon that can work well even without rain. Importantly, its Secret Sword breaks through Chansey, which completely walls Kingdra. With both using Choice Specs, the combination of Kingdra and Keldeo puts a lot of pressure on the opposing walls. It can also run Hidden Power Flying to 2HKO Mega Venusaur on the switch. With Choice Scarf, Keldeo serves as a fantastic revenge killer when rain is down. As sweepers, Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo are good teammates that easily take advantage of the holes in the opponent's team that Kingdra opens up, as Kingdra can easily take out most of their checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Water:**
Kingdra is one dimensional and has very few options outside of its main set. Life Orb is an option for Kingdra to be able to switch moves but loses many important KOs and rolls; for example, it will almost never OHKO Mega Gardevoir, never OHKO Keldeo, never 2HKO specially defensive Cradily, and never OHKO Hoopa-U, all huge threats to Kingdra and the Water team in general. Kingdra also has a Focus Energy set that uses Scope Lens to reach a 100% chance to get a critical hit. It uses the Sniper ability to deal additional damage with its critical hits, so it generally uses Agility to boost its Speed. However, that requires two turns of setup, making this a very niche and very team-dependent set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water:**
**Chansey**: Chansey all but ignores everything Kingdra can throw at it and can set Stealth Rock, paralyze or poison Kingdra, and stall all of the turns of rain easily.
**Residual Damage**: Because Kingdra relies heavily on switching in and out, entry hazard damage will add up very quickly and whittle its health down. When this is combined with priority moves or status such as burns or Toxic poison, Kingdra can take a lot of damage.
**Gardevoir**: As the main offensive user of Trace, Gardevoir is faster than Kingdra and can copy Swift Swim to outspeed Kingdra and OHKO it with Moonblast or Hyper Voice as it Mega Evolves, keeping the Speed boost for that turn. Furthermore, due to its Fairy typing, Gardevoir is immune to Kingdra's Draco Meteor, making it risky for Kingdra to Choice-lock into it.
**Specially Invested Walls**: Cradily and Gastrodon, on Rock and Ground teams respectively, can choose to heavily invest into Special Defense in order to prevent Kingdra from sweeping their teams, as their abilities prevent Kingdra from using its reliable Water-type STAB attacks and they will avoid the 2HKO from Draco Meteor. Ferrothorn utterly stops Kingdra short with or without investment due to its typing and defensive stats and can safely set up entry hazards, inflict status on Kingdra, or use Leech Seed.
**Mega Venusaur**: While it cannot switch directly into Draco Meteor, Mega Venusaur can check Kingdra easily by using Giga Drain to restore any lost health to avoid the 2HKO. Its Thick Fat ability also prevents Kingdra from taking it out with Ice Beam.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis will completely cripple Kingdra, as Kingdra will no longer have the speed to sweep. Walls do still need to be careful, though, as its strength is not diminished in the slightest.
GP: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
**Water:**
Kingdra's claim to fame is in its Swift Swim ability, which allows it to outspeed almost the entire metagame in the rain. The rain will also boost the power of its already strong Water-type STAB attacks, making Kingdra an almost unstoppable wallbreaker as well as a very reliable sweeper, especially against offensive teams that rarely have easy ways to stop it. With access to Draco Meteor and Hydro Pump, Kingdra can deal massive damage to almost any target. While not spectacular, Kingdra has passable bulk, letting it shrug off attacks from most defensive Pokemon, making it safe to 2HKO many walls. That being said, Kingdra is overly dependent on having rain support to function. Without it, Kingdra is useless because it lacks speed and its Special Attack is rather unimpressive. Because of this, Kingdra all but requires at least one more teamslot to have a dedicated and reliable rain setter to reach its full potential.
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper (Water)
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Ice Beam / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Surf / Scald
item: Choice Specs
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump deals ridiculous damage in rain and can 2HKO most walls, such as Mew, Zapdos, and even Slowbro, which resists it. Draco Meteor is a second STAB move to hit foes that resist Hydro Pump, such as Mega Venusaur and Slowbro. Ice Beam provides good coverage for hitting Dragon- and Grass-types without Draco Meteor's Special Attack drops. Dragon Pulse is a viable substitution for Draco Meteor or Ice Beam; while it lacks the power of Draco Meteor and the coverage of Ice Beam, it is exceptional in the Dragon matchup for sweeping. It's also generally a good Dragon-type STAB attack that can be used without the loss in momentum of Draco Meteor. Surf is the most reliable STAB attack for Kingdra, being more accurate than Hydro Pump and lacking the Special Attack drops of Draco Meteor. Instead of Surf, though, Scald can be used to try to burn switch-ins, but the damage Surf provides is generally more useful for cleaning purposes.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EV investment makes sure Kingdra can at least Speed tie with opposing Kingdra in rain. Kingdra will also outspeed almost every viable Pokemon in the metagame including up to Choice Scarf Latios. A Modest nature is used with maximum Special Attack investment and Choice Specs to make Kingdra as strong as possible. Swift Swim is used to give Kingdra its incredible Speed in the rain so that it can sweep easily.
Usage Tips
========
Kingdra should mainly be used while rain is up, as its damage output and Speed are nothing impressive without the boosts. So, any time rain is up, try to bring Kingdra in safely so that it can fire off a strong STAB attack. Early-game, Kingdra can wallbreak to set up its, or a teammate's, late-game sweep. To make it easier for Kingdra to sweep, it should be kept as healthy as possible, so Kingdra should avoid taking damage, such as when rain is not up. Hydro Pump is generally safely used, as even Pokemon that resist it will take a serious amount of damage thanks to the rain boost. Be careful of using Draco Meteor, as turns of rain can be wasted when Kingdra is forced to switch out due to the Special Attack drop. Instead, it is a great tool for wallbreaking when there isn't rain, as it is stronger than Hydro Pump. Dragon Pulse is much more useful for sweeping Dragon teams, as Kingdra outspeeds their entire team and can OHKO every Dragon-type Pokemon except for Mega Latias. Unlike when it uses Draco Meteor, Kingdra won't need to keep switching out, so after Mega Latias is weakened, Kingdra has a quick sweep in the rain. Surf should only be used when revenge killing or cleaning, as Hydro Pump's damage is necessary to break many walls. Similarly, Ice Beam's main targets are only those weak to it and resistant to both of Kingdra's STAB attacks, as Hydro Pump in the rain and Draco Meteor outdamage it in most cases. Because it is so dependent on its Speed, Kingdra needs to avoid paralysis, which would make it incapable of sweeping at all.
Team Options
========
Politoed is a necessary teammate to set rain with Drizzle. Notably, Eject Button Politoed can save a turn of rain and bring Kingdra in safely. It can carry Toxic for the few walls Kingdra cannot break, such as specially defensive Cradily, which can relatively safely Recover off Ice Beams while Toxic stalling, and specially defensive Gastrodon. To support it with Stealth Rock, Swampert and Empoleon are two great options. Mega Swampert also appreciates Kingdra being able to take out most of its checks and can sweep late-game easily. In return, it can even set Rain Dance to support Kingdra if it isn't already using Stealth Rock. Empoleon is an alternative Stealth Rock setter that pairs well defensively with Kingdra. Thanks to its Steel typing and good bulk, it can easily switch into Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Kingdra. It can also run Defog to remove entry hazards such as Toxic Spikes to keep Kingdra healthy. Manaphy is a versatile option that can defeat many of Kingdra's few checks. With Tail Glow, it is capable of breaking Chansey with Scald; Mega Venusaur with Psychic; and Cradily, Gastrodon, and Ferrothorn with Ice Beam. It can also serve as another Rain Dance user to give Kingdra more opportunities to be useful. Choice Band Azumarill is the best physical wallbreaker to use with Kingdra, as Azumarill is capable of breaking most special walls that stop Kingdra. Specifically, with Superpower, it can break Chansey, Empoleon, Cradily, and Ferrothorn. As Kingdra needs to switch in and out due to the low number of rain turns and Draco Meteor stat drops, Starmie's Rapid Spin support can be greatly beneficial. It can also run Psychic to 2HKO Mega Venusaur, or even OHKO it on the switch thanks to Analytic. Starmie also serves as a fast Pokemon outside of rain, which can help with defeating opposing weather setters. Keldeo is another great option for a Pokemon that can work well even without rain. Importantly, its Secret Sword breaks through Chansey, which completely walls Kingdra. With both using Choice Specs, the combination of Kingdra and Keldeo puts a lot of pressure on the opposing walls. It can also run Hidden Power Flying to 2HKO Mega Venusaur on the switch. With Choice Scarf, Keldeo serves as a fantastic revenge killer when rain is down. As sweepers, Mega Gyarados and Mega Sharpedo are good teammates that easily take advantage of the holes in the opponent's team that Kingdra opens up, as Kingdra can easily take out most of their checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
**Water:**
Kingdra is one dimensional and has very few options outside of its main set. Life Orb is an option for Kingdra to be able to switch moves but loses many important KOs and rolls; for example, it will almost never OHKO Mega Gardevoir, never OHKO Keldeo, never 2HKO specially defensive Cradily, and never OHKO Hoopa-U, all huge threats to Kingdra and the Water team in general. Kingdra also has a Focus Energy set that uses Scope Lens to reach a 100% chance to get a critical hit. It uses the Sniper ability to deal additional damage with its critical hits, so it generally uses Agility to boost its Speed. However, that requires two turns of setup, making this a very niche and very team-dependent set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water:**
**Chansey**: Chansey all but ignores everything Kingdra can throw at it and can set Stealth Rock, paralyze or poison Kingdra, and stall all of the turns of rain easily.
**Residual Damage**: Because Kingdra relies heavily on switching in and out, entry hazard damage will add up very quickly and whittle its health down. When this is combined with priority moves or status such as burns or Toxic poison, Kingdra can take a lot of damage.
**Gardevoir**: As the main offensive user of Trace, Gardevoir is faster than Kingdra and can copy Swift Swim to outspeed Kingdra and OHKO it with Moonblast or Hyper Voice as it Mega Evolves, keeping the Speed boost for that turn. Furthermore, due to its Fairy typing, Gardevoir is immune to Kingdra's Draco Meteor, making it risky for Kingdra to Choice-lock into it.
**Specially Invested Walls**: Cradily and Gastrodon, on Rock and Ground teams respectively, can choose to heavily invest into Special Defense in order to prevent Kingdra from sweeping their teams, as their abilities prevent Kingdra from using its reliable Water-type STAB attacks and they will avoid the 2HKO from Draco Meteor. Ferrothorn utterly stops Kingdra short with or without investment due to its typing and defensive stats and can safely set up entry hazards, inflict status on Kingdra, or use Leech Seed.
**Mega Venusaur**: While it cannot switch directly into Draco Meteor, Mega Venusaur can check Kingdra easily by using Giga Drain to restore any lost health to avoid the 2HKO. Its Thick Fat ability also prevents Kingdra from taking it out with Ice Beam.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis will completely cripple Kingdra, as Kingdra will no longer have the speed to sweep. Walls do still need to be careful, though, as its strength is not diminished in the slightest.
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